Observational Techniques/Methods

Question 1

what is an observation?

Answer 1

observational techniques are a type of research method, watching and recording behaviour. this means recording what people actually do and not what they SAY they do.

Question 2

what does overt mean?

Answer 2

the participant is aware that they are being watched (observed)

Question 3

what does covert mean?

Answer 3

the participant is unaware of being watched (observed) e.g. the police were carrying out a covert operation

Question 4

how MANY types of observational techniques are there?

Answer 4

6

Question 5

NAME all 6 of the observational techniques.

Answer 5

covert, overt, non-participant, participant, naturalistic and controlled.

Question 6

what is a non-participant observation?

Answer 6

is a type of observational study whereby the researcher does not join in with the activity being observed

Question 7

what is a strength of an non-participant observation?

Answer 7

it is objective

Question 8

what is a limitation of a non-participant observation?

Answer 8

it may loose detail

Question 9

what is a participant observation?

Answer 9

a type of observation where the observer is also a ppt in the activity being studied

Question 10

give an example of a participant study (hint: stratford prison experiment)

Answer 10

zimbardo

Question 11

what are some strengths of a participant observation?

Answer 11

this type of observation can be useful because it provides more insights about behaviour
therefore increases external validity

Question 12

what limitation are there to a participant observation?

Answer 12

researcher bias, they can sway the observation into a direction that they want. OR identify too strongly and lose objectivity

Question 13

what is an covert observation?

Answer 13

is a type of observation where the ppts are not fully aware they are being studied and the observer is not visible

Question 14

what strengths are there to an covert observation?

Answer 14

there are reduced demand characteristics as ppts are not aware they are in a studied therefore behaviour is more natural, high internal validity

Question 15

what limitations are there to an covert observation

Answer 15

not ethical as no informed consent given therefore have to gain consent after the event which could decrease the amount of results obtained if consent is not given

Question 16

what is a overt observation?

Answer 16

is where participants are aware they are being observed by the observer (such as in Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison stud

Question 17

what strengths are there to an overt observation?

Answer 17

observations are more ethical as consent can be obtained prior to the study and therefore have the choice to withdraw

Question 18

what limitation are there to an overt observation?

Answer 18

there is higher chance of demand characteristics as ppts are aware they are being studied

Question 19

what is a structured observation?

Answer 19

is where the researchers design a type of coding scheme to record the participants’ behaviour.

Question 20

structured observations generally provide what?

Answer 20

quantitative data.

Question 21

finish the sentence: coding schemes are ways of categorising behaviour so that ….

Answer 21

you can code what you observe in terms of how often a type of behaviour appears.

Question 22

a naturalistic observation takes place in what kind of setting?

Answer 22

natural setting where target behaviour usually occurs

Question 23

give an example of a naturalistic observation

Answer 23

watching behaviour of how students play at lunch time

Question 24

what strengths are there to a naturalistic observation

Answer 24

high external validity as behaviour in a natural setting is more spontaneous and therefore can be more generalisable

Question 25

what limitations are there to a naturalistic observation?

Answer 25

low control of extraneous and confounding variables makes it more difficult to prove cause and effect between the IV and DV

Question 26

what is a controlled observation?

Answer 26

some control/manipulation of variables including control of confounding and extraneous variables

Question 27

what is a strength of controlled observation?

Answer 27

can be replicated as it is more easier to repeat due to standardized procedures therefore finding can be checked to see if they occur again

Question 28

what is a limitations to controlled observations?

Answer 28

may have low external validity as behaviour may be contrived as a result of the setting therefore lacks mundane realism as finding cannot be applied to everyday experience

Question 29

why might observations techniques may be at risk of observer bias?

Answer 29

researcher interpretations of the situation may be affected by expectations

Question 30

how to reduce bias of observation techniques?

Answer 30

use more than one observer

Question 31

what is a benefit of using observation techniques rather than self-reports?

Answer 31

people often act differently to what they say in self-reports, observations are more useful as they give insight into spontaneous behaviour